This week I’m headed to Newark, NJ to give a keynote address at the Alliance for Nonprofit Management’s annual gathering. I’m honored for numerous reasons, the least of which is that it’s also the 25th anniversary of the Terry McAdams Book Award, which my book, “Begging for Change”, won in 2005. If you’ve read it, it’s pretty clear that “Begging” is a pissed-off book. It was written prior to a trip to India I made to study the Indian National Congress, where I experienced political enlightenment and realized I had spent a few hundred pages… Continue reading »
Cesar’s Son and the Power of One
As I continue to explore Los Angeles and Southern California to meet seasoned pros, learn about progressive new programs and develop new partnerships, I am constantly amazed by the good fortune I have. Case in point…as you can see from my last few blog posts, I have a deeply personal connection to 1968 and the whole Kennedy-King-Chavez nexus. Ever since my return to SoCal, I have been exploring those old roots, not out of nostalgia mind you, but to re-energize my brain as I prepare for the next phase of my journey and career. That’s… Continue reading »
Two Men and Midnight
Years ago, while reading an obscure text on the Indian National Congress, I ran across a historic nugget that caught my eye…June 7, 1893 was the date when young Mohandas Gandhi was tossed off a train on his way to Cape Town. The reason it struck me was because I had just listened to a recording of Robert Kennedy’s Day of Affirmation speech, which had been recorded when he spoke at Cape Town University on June 6, 1966….and I became immediately fascinated by the surprising nexus between these two men, their paths, these dates and Cape… Continue reading »
The Global Effort to Stop Food Waste
For decades, in all corners of the globe, groups of dedicated people have been working, building, creating and fighting for ways to reduce food waste. Of course, at the DC Central Kitchen, which I founded in 1989, we took it to another level by using food we collected to empower people — by making men and women who used to be the recipients of charity part of the solution. Well, today is World Environmental Day, and colleagues at SAVE FOOD: The Global Initiative on Food Losses and Waste Reduction have produced a great video to… Continue reading »
Partnering to Push the Envelope
As Spring gives way to Summer, I’m excited about some of the strong partnerships that the L.A. Kitchen team has been developing. At the very top of the list is St. Vincent Meals on Wheels. St. Vincent has been on the front line for decades, and together we will be working side by side to usher in a new era of inclusion, empowerment, and strong food for our older neighbors. This is a critical partnership, because in the next twenty years the number of older adults (65+) in Los Angeles County is expected to double…. Continue reading »
